Pump arrangements of today can be positive displacement pumps such as gear pumps, centrifugal pumps and plunger or piston pumps. Known pump arrangements have problems which are related to the control of the flow of pumped fluids, to the supply of fluids at a constant pressure with or without any fluid flow, to variations in pressure during pumping of the fluids, to cavitation in the pump units, to slow starting procedures and to operational noise. One known pump arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,724 A.
The present invention resides in one aspect in a pump arrangement which comprises a first and a second pump unit for pumping of fluids with a controlled pressure of said fluids. The pump arrangement of the invention also provides a continuous flow or a pulsed flow of said fluids. Suitably the pump arrangement can be used to supply a constant pressure with or without any fluid flow and the pump arrangement can provide a rapid starting procedure. A further benefit of the invention is to obtain a pump arrangement with a safe and controllable pressure limitation.
In one embodiment, a pump arrangement for pumping fluids includes at least a first and a second pump unit. Fluids may be defined as gases, liquids, particles or mixtures thereof, which can be made to flow under an applied shear stress. Each pump unit comprises a pumping cylinder and a reciprocally movable pumping piston in said pumping cylinder. The cross-section of the pumping piston can be substantially circular, elliptical, rectangular or have any other suitable shape. The pumping piston is leak-tight fitted in said pumping cylinder by means of a seal or by any other known means. The pumping piston delimits a pumping chamber in the pumping cylinder, in communication with one or more pump ports for the fluids to be pumped. The pump unit further comprises an actuator connected to the pumping piston, for moving said pumping piston. The actuator can be a linear actuator that is capable of producing a constant and well defined force independent of the position of piston and throughout the relevant length of the stroke.
The mentioned pump units may further comprise means for determining a value dependent on the continuous position of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder. The value can be a continuous value, or a discrete representation of a continuous value with a resolution to resolve the movement or the position of the pumping piston sufficiently high as demanded by the application. The continuous position can be determined throughout the relevant stroke of the pumping piston. The determined value may be composed of or transformed to any of the following alternatives, or combinations of alternatives according to the present invention. Said determining means can comprise a transducer for determining the value dependent on the position of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder. As an alternative to position, the value dependent on the position can be the velocity of the pumping piston, the acceleration of the pumping piston or any other parameter dependent on the position of the pumping piston. The position of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder may also be determined by a transducer arranged to determine a value dependent on the position of the driving piston in the driving cylinder or on the position of the rod in relation to the driving- or pumping cylinders. The transducer can be a linear encoder that encodes position and converts the position into analog or digital position signals. Motion, velocity or acceleration can be determined by change in position over time. The transducer can utilize any known resistive, capacitive, inductive, eddy current, magnetic, or optical means for position measurements or combinations thereof. The position transducer may also be a rotary encoder or transducer coupled to a rotating part that rotates in relation to the motion of the pumping piston and converts the angular displacement into analog or digital position signals.
The pump arrangement may comprise a first set of valves connecting the one or more pump ports of each pump unit to at least one source line and a delivery line for transporting the fluids to be pumped. The pump arrangement may further comprise means for regulating the volume of the flow from at least one of said pump units of the fluids to be pumped based on the value dependent on the continuous position of the pumping piston in at least one of the pump units. Thus the flow of fluids to be pumped through the delivery line may be regulated based on the position or movement of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder of at least one of the pump units. The flow of fluids to be pumped may therefore be regulated quickly and correctly upon a change in operational conditions of the pump arrangement.
The determined value which is dependent on the position may be a measurement of, a calculation of or a conversion to the velocity of a pumping piston in a pump unit, whereby the means for regulating the flow of the fluids may be used to control the volume of the flow from said pump unit. The determined value dependent on the position may also be a measurement of, a calculation of or a conversion to the acceleration of a pumping piston in a pump unit, whereby the means for regulating the flow of the fluids may be used to control the ramping of the flow, increasing or decreasing the flow velocity from said pump unit.
Determined values dependent on the position of the pumping pistons in several pump units can be combined in order to regulate the flow of the fluids to be pumped on their combined behaviour. By regulating the flow based on the sum of the values dependent on the position, the combined flow can be controlled. The flow may also be based on the difference of the values dependent on the position, or in any other suitable way.
The determined value dependent on the position can also be the actual position of the pumping piston in a pump unit. This can be utilized in order to detect problems within the pump arrangement, such as leakage or cavitation, and the means for regulating the flow of the fluids to be pumped can be arranged to halt the system or adjust the driving parameters of the actuator control in order to avoid the problems or to reach a correct volumetric flow. Changes in the behaviour of the pump arrangement, as determined by the values dependent on the positions of pumping pistons in one or several pump units, can be used to indicate problems within the pump arrangement. Problems within the pump arrangement may be detected by variations in velocity between pumping pistons in different pump units, by variations in the cycle time of different pump units or by variations in the velocity of a pumping piston in a pump unit during filling or emptying the pumping chamber.
The pump arrangement can also comprise means for measuring the pressure in the arrangement. The pump arrangement may comprise means for measuring the pressure in the delivery line, up- or downstream of the means for regulating the flow of the fluids to be pumped. The pump arrangement may have means for measuring the pressure in the pumping chambers of the pump units. The computer based control unit system can be arranged to receive an input parameter representing said pressure, and to process said input parameter to one or more output parameters for controlling the means for regulating the flow of the fluids to be pumped. The output parameter may be used to control the driving of the actuators in order to adjust the forces supplied to the pumping pistons. This can be used to counteract any imbalance or variation between the pump units. The measured pressure parameter can also be used together with the values dependent on the position to detect problems within the pump arrangement, such as leakage or cavitation.
The actuator may be a fluid power actuator comprising a driving cylinder, a reciprocally movable driving piston in said driving cylinder, which is connected to the pumping piston for moving the pumping piston. The driving piston divides the driving cylinder into a first and a second driving chamber in communication with a first and a second drive port for drive medium. The pump arrangement may comprise a second set of valves for controlling the delivery of drive medium to the driving chambers of the pump units. Suitable drive media may be fluids according to the definition above, or partial vacuum. The fluid power actuator may be a pneumatic actuator, wherein the drive medium comprises a gas such as air, or a hydraulic actuator, wherein the drive medium comprises a hydraulic fluid known in the art such as oil, water, synthetic compounds or mixtures thereof. One advantage of having pneumatic actuators is that the maximum pressure can be regulated in order to minimize the risk of delivering too high pressure on the delivery side of the pump arrangement. The second set of valves can be on/off valves, but can also be arranged to continuously regulate the flow and/or pressure of the drive medium into or out from the corresponding drive chambers. The second set of valves can be used to ventilate the corresponding drive chamber by opening the driving chambers to a venting circuit for the drive medium. If the drive medium comprises a gas, such as air, the drive medium can be vented into the ambient surrounding. The driving cylinders may comprise first and second dedicated ventilation valves for drive medium from said first and second drive chambers.
The actuator may be an electromagnetic actuator comprising at least one stationary part and one reciprocally movable part, said parts comprising at least one coil and one magnet. The electromagnetic actuator may be of a voice coil type, wherein a reciprocally movable electrical coil is surrounding or surrounded by a stationary permanent magnet or electromagnet. The electromagnetic actuator may comprise a reciprocally movable magnet surrounding or surrounded by a stationary electrical coil.
The means for regulating the flow of the fluids to be pumped may comprise at least one valve on the delivery line. This valve can be a proportional valve for regulation of a continuous fluid flow or an on/off valve for pulse width modulation of a fluid flow. A proportional valve can be any suitable valve with a variable cross-sectional flow area, or with a variable flow resistance. The means for regulating the flow of the fluids to be pumped may comprise means for regulating the force applied to the pumping pistons by the corresponding actuators.
The first set of valves may comprise two check valves connecting each of the first and the second pump units to the source line and two check valves connecting each of the first and the second pump units to the delivery line. The check valves are arranged to permit a flow of fluids from the source line via the pumping chambers to the delivery line. The first set of valves may comprise on/off valves that are controlled to open and close during a pumping cycle of the arrangement in order to permit a flow of fluids from the source line via the pumping chambers to the delivery line. The first set of valves may further comprise a valve connecting the pumping chamber to the source or delivery line via a pump port on or close to the movable pumping piston, such as integrated with the sealing of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder.
The second set of valves may comprise valves for controlling the delivery of drive medium with a pressure P1 to the first driving chambers of the pump units and/or drive medium with a pressure P2 to the second driving chambers of the pump units. Drive medium with pressure P1 and P2 may be supplied to the pump units from a common pressure supply via at least one regulating unit. The first and second driving chambers of the pump units may be connected to individual pressure sources supplying drive media with pressures P1, P2, P3 and P4. The driving chambers may alternatively be connected to one or more pressure sources via one or more regulating units, controlling the pressure or flow of drive medium to the different pump units and/or to the different driving chambers of the pump units. The regulating units can be pressure regulators, proportional valves, various control valves or combinations thereof.
The pumping piston has a cross-sectional area AP and the driving piston has a cross-sectional area AD. The cross-sectional area AP of the pumping piston can suitably be smaller than the cross-sectional area AD of the driving piston thereby bringing about an increase of the pressure in the pumping chamber in relation to the pressure in the first driving chamber.
The fluid power actuator can comprise one or more additional driving cylinders, each additional driving cylinder comprising a reciprocally movable driving piston dividing said additional driving cylinder into a first and a second driving chamber in communication with a first and a second drive port for drive medium. The driving piston in said additional driving cylinder is connectable by connection means to the driving piston in the main driving cylinder. The cross-sectional area of the driving piston in said additional driving cylinder is suitably larger than the cross-sectional area AD of the driving piston in the main driving cylinder. The one or more additional driving cylinders can be used to apply force to the pumping pistons in the pumping cylinders when there is a need for higher pumping pressures. The main driving cylinder can in this case be used to apply force to the pumping pistons in the pumping cylinders when there is a need for high precision in pumping pressure. The driving piston in the additional driving cylinder may be connectable to yet another driving cylinder and so on. The cross-sectional area of the driving piston in said yet another driving cylinder is suitably larger than the cross-sectional area of the driving piston in said additional driving cylinder. By making use of one or more of the driving cylinders, a wide range of forces can be applied to the fluid in the pumping chamber of the corresponding pump unit. The second set of valves further comprises valves for controlling the delivery of drive medium to the driving chambers of the additional driving cylinders.
The connection means for connecting the driving piston in an additional driving cylinder to the driving piston in the main driving cylinder may be arranged to transfer a pushing force from the additional driving cylinder to the driving piston in the main driving cylinder, while not transmitting a pulling force. This can be arranged by providing mechanical contact between the driving pistons in the driving cylinders. Thereby the main driving cylinder can be used to pump fluid from the pumping chamber with a high precision, without having to move the pumping piston in the additional driving cylinder. Similar connection means can be used between additional driving cylinders in a series of driving cylinders.
The means for regulating the flow of the fluids to be pumped may comprise a computer based control unit system connected to the valves in the pump arrangement. The computer based control unit system can be arranged to receive an input parameter representing said value dependent on the position of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder, and process said input parameter to one or more output parameters for controlling the means for regulating the flow of the fluids to be pumped by the pump arrangement. The computer based control unit system may also control the first and second set of valves to open and close within predetermined time intervals or at predetermined positions of the pumping pistons in the pumping cylinders, as determined by the means for determining a value dependent on the position of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder.
The pump arrangement can be provided with a nozzle on the delivery line, said nozzle comprising a disperser element for dispersing the fluid to be pumped. The nozzle can comprise one or more holes at the outlet end in order to disperse the fluid exiting the nozzle. An example of a nozzle that can be connected to the pump arrangement for the injection of a fluid in a continuous chemical reactor or a flow module is further disclosed in WO 2007050013 A1, other types of suitable nozzles are also possible according to the invention.
The pump arrangement may comprise at least two pump units, wherein each pump unit comprises a pumping cylinder having a pump port, a reciprocally movable pumping piston, a driving cylinder having two drive ports for drive medium, and a reciprocally movable driving piston, wherein a rod is interconnecting the pumping piston with the driving piston, and the pump arrangement comprises further two or more check valves connecting the pump ports of the at least two pump units to at least one source line and at least one delivery line of the fluids to be pumped, the pump arrangement comprises further two or more valves connecting the driving cylinders to at least one drive medium source, and the pump arrangement comprises further flow regulating means for regulating the volume of the flow from at least one of said pump units of the fluids to be pumped dependent on the continuous position of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder.
The present invention relates also to a system comprising a pump arrangement and a continuous chemical reactor or a flow module, wherein the delivery line of said pump arrangement is connected to a port of the continuous chemical reactor or flow module. The delivery line of the pump arrangement may be provided with a nozzle that is suitable for injecting a fluid into the flow of another fluid. The nozzle may comprise a disperser element suitable for spraying or dispersing the fluid to be pumped into a fluid channel in the continuous chemical reactor or flow module. The nozzle can thus be used to produce fine dispersions of miscible or non-miscible liquids that are introduced into a process flow in the chemical reactor or flow module. The disperser may comprise one or more fine holes in order to produce fine dispersions of the fluids. The pump arrangement could continuously pump fluids to the nozzle or feed the nozzle in a pulsed mode. The pump is suitably controlled to maintain a given pressure level.
The present invention also relates to the use of a pump arrangement or a system comprising a pump arrangement to introduce fluids into a continuous chemical reactor or a flow module. The pump arrangement according to the invention may be used with a chemical reactor or a flow module. Examples of suitable continuous chemical reactors or flow modules are disclosed by WO 2007050013 A1 or SE 0950247-7. The combination of the pump arrangement and the continuous chemical reactor or continuous flow module can be used for reactions, extractions, separations, mixing, etc., to design chemical processes, or combinations thereof.
The present invention also relates to a method for controlling the pump arrangement of the present invention. The method comprises the steps of;                (i) filling the pumping chambers with fluids to be pumped until each pumping piston reaches a first position,        (ii) selecting a first pump unit and initiating emptying of the corresponding pumping chamber by activating respective actuator. The activation of respective actuator can as one alternative be done by introducing a drive medium in a drive chamber in respective drive cylinder or by introducing a current in a coil in respective electromagnetic actuator. The selection of the first pump may be done randomly or according to a predetermined scheme, such as alternating between the pump units every other time.        
The method further comprises repeating the steps of;                (iii) selecting another pump unit when the pumping piston of said activated pump unit has reached a second position, and initiating emptying of the pumping chamber of this other pump unit by activating the actuator,        (iv) allowing both actuators to be active during a certain amount of time, thereby allowing any of the pumping pistons to move and deliver the fluids to be pumped, and        (v) inactivating the actuator of the pump unit that reached said second position and initiating filling of the corresponding pumping chamber with fluids to be pumped until the pumping piston reaches said first position.        
In the described way, one or more of the pumping pistons are always supplied with a forward-acting pumping force. By allowing two pump units to be active during a certain time period, without predetermining how the pumping pistons of the two pumping units are moving during said time period, a substantially pulseless pumping of the fluid is achieved.
The volume of the flow from at least one of said pump units of the pumped fluids is regulated based on the value dependent on the continuous position of the pumping piston in at least one of the pump units. In order to obtain a constant volume flow, the value dependent on the position of the pumping piston in at least one of the pump units is the sum of the velocities of the forward moving pumping pistons in the pumping cylinders. The flow of the pumped fluids may be regulated by adjusting the at least one valve on the delivery line or by adjusting the force applied to at least one pumping piston by the corresponding actuator.
Further alternative embodiments of the present invention are defined in the claims. In the following various embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the invention and are not intended to limit its scope.